LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS – AUGUST 13, 2026 PREVIEW

LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS: The latest issue features

An Uncomplicated Man – Emily Wilson

The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan’s $250 million action movie version of Homer’s ancient Greek poem is an entertaining way to hide from the high temperatures for a few hours. Nolan’s trademark jumps and twists in the narrative structure are relatively easy to follow, and appropriate for The Odyssey, a narrative of tales nested in tales. My teenagers had a good time. Unlike some of Nolan’s other films, The Odyssey is not boring, thanks to the source material, which is impossible to mess up entirely. It’s a family-friendly audiovisual spectacle, like an elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display – and with about the same level of narrative and emotional depth.

Beloved Son Felix: Coming of Age in the Renaissance by Felix Platter, translated by Seán Jennett


The Northern Routes to Kingship: 
A History of Scandinavia AD 180-550 by Dagfinn Skre


The Boundless Deep: 
Young Tennyson, Science and the Crisis of Belief by Richard Holmes

The Future in Our Past: The General Strike, 1926-2026 by Callum Cant and Matthew Lee

The Edge of Revolution: The General Strike that Shook Britain by David Torrance

Nine Days in May: The General Strike of 1926 by Jonathan Schneer

Britain’s Revolutionary Summer: The General Strike of 1926 by Edd Mustill

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2026

How the Ukraine War Became a Fight for the Skies

Russia and Ukraine are producing ever larger numbers of innovative aerial weapons, hoping for a breakthrough as ground combat is largely frozen.

Deadly Missile Attack on Kyiv Exploits Ukraine’s Depleted Air Defenses

At least 17 people were killed, officials said, as the country runs desperately low on interceptor missiles that could fend off Russian bombardments.

After Trump’s Board of Peace Made a Plan for Gaza, the Bombings Grew Worse

President Trump announced a proposal aimed at achieving the disarmament of Hamas and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel ramped up strikes on the Palestinian enclave.

Houthis Threaten to Expand Red Sea Attacks, and Claim Strike on Saudi Tanker

Inside the Oval Office Showdown Between Trump and Jeanine Pirro

Ms. Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told President Trump that his interior secretary, Doug Burgum, had misled him.

Todd Blanche’s Confirmation as Attorney General Faces New Opposition